The post-holiday season is the perfect time for a fresh start. Some of us may have a few extra pounds to shed, or we just may need to hit the reset button after several weeks of indulgence. No doubt, we're also ready for 2020 to be over. What a great time to do a detox and to start the New Year refreshed and ready for brighter days. Here are a few tips that will help us get the most out of our post-holiday detox:

A Fresh Start to the New Year 

1. Drink more water. Water flushes out toxins. Our bodies are mostly water, and it's very easy to get dehydrated in the cold, dry air of wintertime. Add to that the diuretic effects of caffeinated beverages and alcohol, our cells are probably pretty thirsty. The rule of thumb for how much water we need is one ounce for every two pounds of body weight. That may not be based on anything solid scientifically speaking, but it seems like good advice. If weight loss is one of our resolutions heading into the New Year, a big glass of water before each meal will naturally curb our appetite. If water doesn’t sound appealing, try squeezing in a slice of lemon, lime, or cucumber.
2. Add smoothies and vegetable juices. Leafy greens, carrots, beets, and fresh fruits are superfoods loaded with vitamins and minerals. They are low in calories and create an alkaline environment that's great for cleansing.
3. Cut out extra caffeine and alcohol. Drink green tea, which is lower in caffeine and cleanses the body, adding extra antioxidants to sweep free radicals out of your cells. Alcohol metabolizes into sugar and toxic chemicals that stress our liver.
4. Whenever possible eat organic. Organic foods minimize our intake of toxic pesticides and are higher in nutrient content. The nutrients assist our liver in its cleansing duties.
5. Think Mediterranean. We may not be in the south of France or Greece or Italy but we can eat like we are. The Mediterranean diet features less meat and dairy and more fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts, and whole grains. These high-fiber plant foods flush toxins out of our gut and pull cholesterol out of our bloodstream and cells. Missing are the processed foods with all of the added salt and sugar and unnecessary toxic food additives. Fish, poultry, and legumes provide the protein, and olive oil is the main fat.
6. Get active. Exercising daily can improve our fitness. Moving burns calories and getting that heart rate up improves circulation. Better circulation brings oxygen and nutrients to the cells. Sweating flushes toxins out of our system.
7. Loving our liver. The liver is one of the most important organs of detoxification. There are nutrients that help the liver create the enzymes to do its job of cleansing. They include vitamin C, vitamin E, riboflavin, selenium, alpha lipoic acid, N Acetyl Cysteine, glutathione, L-glutamine, and L-glycine. Asparagus and garlic are strong liver support foods and so is the herb milk thistle. It's quite a list, but Carlson makes it easy by combining these in a formula called Ultimate Liver Support.

To make the most of our detox, a great supplement regimen would include Ultimate Liver Support, a good fiber supplement like Carlson Hi-Fiber, a digestive support supplement like Nutra-Support® Digestion, and a good probiotic.